Visit to the Kyrgyz Republic of the newly appointed EU Special Representative for Central Asia Patricia Flor (26/07/2012)

BISHKEK, 26 July 2012 – The EU Special Representative for Central Asia Ambassador Patricia Flor visited Bishkek together with her predecessor Ambassador Pierre Morel, as part of an introductory tour to Central Asia, after her appointment to the post on 1 July 2012.

They held discussions with the Speaker of the Parliament Asylbek Jeenbekov, ex-President Roza Otunbaeva, Vice Prime Minister Joomart Otorbaev and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Erines Otorbaev.They also met with representatives of the National Security Committee, Customs Agency, of civil society and academic institutions.

The EU Special Representative Ambassador Patricia Flor expressed her appreciation for the warm welcome with which she was received in Kyrgyzstan, and commended Kyrgyzstan for the democratic process that has unfolded in the country during the last two years. Ambassador Flor expressed hope that the authorities and the people of Kyrgyzstan will sustain their good will to reconcile and re-build the common life of their communities after the dramatic events of 2010.

As Kyrgyzstan continues to undergo a difficult transformation after 20 years of independence, the EU is sharing its key experiences with regards to the rule of law and human rights, and is supporting the building of an open and democratic society. The EU will continue to work together with Kyrgyzstan to ensure the implementation of the common objectives, principles and priorities of the bilateral Partnership and Cooperation Agreement of which, the enhanced cooperation and reinforced presence in the country with a fully fledged EU Delegation are a testimony.

Referring to the last June Council Conclusions on the five years of implementation of the EU Strategy for a New Partnership with Central Asia, Ambassador Flor underlined that her mission is to deepen EU-Central Asia cooperation, building on the progress achieved so far to further develop relations with all of the five countries on the priority areas: (i) human rights, the rule of law, good governance and democratization; (ii) youth and education; (iii) economic development, trade and investment; (iv) energy and transport; (v) environment sustainability and water; and (vi) combating common threats and challenges.

Within the framework of the Strategy for Central Asia, the EU attaches great importance tofurther deepen the regional cooperation and foresees the establishment of high-level security dialogue with all Central Asian states to address common concerns and support security and stability in the region To that end, it will be crucial to involve Afghanistan in the political dialogue and the economic cooperation among its Central Asian neighbors.

Ambassador Flor confirmed that the next EU-Central Asia foreign ministers meeting is planned to take place in Bishkek in November 2012.